Through the juxtaposition of marks, materials, patterns and accurate drawing, Catcher pays attention to the power of oddities, distortion and exaggeration as she constructs her self-portraits. Her confident hand is evident, as is her willingness to be open to risk and experimentation with media and processes. Catcher’s strong drawing skills ground her, but her curiosity, imagination and playfulness allow her to keep asking what if and what else, who am I and what do I have to say? Catcher cross-pollinates her drawing, painting and collage work with her digital work. Every piece and process informs and expands her investigation.

Our AP class is highly individualized. They way we teach this class is more organic… Paying close attention to how one idea or process or combination there of, leads to the next for each student. College Board's AP Art and Design criteria has pushed Catcher to pay attention to what her work is telling her. It has required her to become more specific and intentional and has helped clarify her voice.

Our AP students are supported by a team of artist/teachers. AP students each have their own homosote covered wall space where they work independently in and outside of class time. Students have access before and after school and on Wednesday night open studio. The wall space is key for students to share ideas and processes and for rising students to see the potential for their future artwork. Students have access to teachers in and outside of class for feedback. It is the student's responsibility to ask questions and seek feedback from us. We have formal critiques often. Our framework includes weekly prompts for students to solve as it relates to their individual sustained investigation. We have found that prompts compel students to stretch and push their ideas and solutions both technically and conceptually.